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United States Patent | 5,580,083 |
Parker | December 3, 1996 |
A cover for an air bag unit is disclosed having a patterned tear seam therein defined by a partially bonded material same as the cover material. Apparatus for forming the cover includes a thin shell mold having an inner surface that is heated to melt thermoplastic material cast thereon. A powder box adapted to contain thermoplastic material therein for distribution onto the thin shell mold carries a gasket having a shape corresponding to the tear seam shape. The powder box and gasket are adapted to be connected to the thin shell mold for forming a sealed footprint on the inner surface during distribution of the cast material against heated surface portions of the thin shell mold to form a thermoplastic cover with a narrow gap therein conforming to the desired tear seam pattern. The cover while in the shell mold is coated along the margins of the gap with a plastic parting agent and then more of the same or similar thermoplastic material is deposited in the gap and over the parting agent to form a partially bonded thermoplastic tear seam.
Inventors: | Parker; Thomas G. (Imperial, MO) |
Assignee: | Davidson Textron Inc. (Dover, NH) |
Appl. No.: | 537520 |
Filed: | October 2, 1995 |
Current U.S. Class: | 280/728.3; 156/289 |
Intern'l Class: | B60R 021/16 |
Field of Search: | 280/728.3,728.2,731,732 156/289 |
5458361 | Oct., 1995 | Gajewski | 280/728. |
Foreign Patent Documents | |||
2703011 | Sep., 1994 | FR | 280/728. |
4-50055 | Feb., 1992 | JP | 280/728. |